Fierce Bambi is featured on the Torontoist!

The Torontoist wants Irene's job as the owner of the Make Den, and we know why.  Creating things with your own two hands is the best feeling, and teaching that joy to others is a million times that satisfaction. We've seen our hard working lovely lady start from the basement of what was Vintage 69 By the Pound, to runing her own little DIY sewing paradise of her own in Bloordale. (Like the Royal couple, we couldn't be more happy...)

Click here to learn more about the Make Den, PACT Fashion, and the magic force that is Fierce Bambi.



Love, Love, Love.

Meet the Deadly Nightshades on Now Magazine!

If you missed this gem of an interview, here it is. The Now asks us some questions on bike style, our jobs, how we work in community, the start of DNS, and how we support each other.

An Interview with The Deadly Nightshades from NOW Magazine on Vimeo.

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xo

Toronto Loves The Make Den!

Fierce Bambi's baby, The Make Den, was just voted as one of the top DIY spots on BlogTo! The Make Den is in a beautiful new retail level space in Bloordale, and offers sewing lessons from begginer classes to leather crafting. Knowing how to sew is a great way to express your individuality, save money by fixing and tailoring your own garments, and mostly it is incredibly fulfiling. Making things with your hands just feels good. Speaking of feeling good, The Make Den is not just a building with classes, it's a community of creative, vibrant Toronto individuals. If you live in Toronto, and want to learn how to create or tailor your own wardrobe, then The Make Den is a must!

(Check out those seafoam walls in the photo... when you see that colour, it's a sure sign a Deadly Nightshade is afoot!)

Deadly Nightshades featured in the Huffington Post!

We were happy to be interviewed by the amazing Amelia Brown for the Huffington Post Canada on how we Gen Y/ Millennials use cycling to express our style, independence and create the culture we value.

"The Deadly Nightshades are convinced that the bicycle is magic. When they're out as a "roving midnight bike gang," in seafoam green jackets, the seven women are a bewitching sight, mixing cycling, art and fashion."

Just one note, for us "fashion" is more "personal style". The Deadly Nightshades came about from a firm distaste of the traditional fashion industry, and it was our punk way to be ourselves and assert our own values. So dress how you want, define your own cycle chic, don't let others tell you how to express yourself, and make your own informed decisions first and foremost.

Already the one comment on the blog is about how we aren't wearing helmets. (Rolls eyes.) Our official stance is this: we all do and we all don't, depending on various factors. Helmets, while AWESOME and have saved several of our noggins at various points, aren't a fix-all for bike safety, and are really just this trolling, polarizing issue we'd all be best to just drop as a topic of focus. The fact is, if we had been wearing helmets we'd be criticized for promoting a culture of fear and not putting the emphasis on car driver resonsiblity. Luke Brocki did an awesome write up of the issue in his article on Velo-City 2012. 

The Huffington post article is a great article read all around, addressing economic issues like the crippling cost of cars, awesome places like the Bike Kitchen at UBC, and events like the Bicycle Film Festival.

"Despite efforts to market bright, affordable and gadget-laden cars to the Millennials, the bicycle is an easy solution that offers Generation Y freedom to get where they need to go without worrying about insurance payments down the road."

Huzzah! Let the culture shift continue!

Check out Snow White and the lovely people of Bike Polo Toronto on CTV!

This past weekend tons of bike polo players from all over the great lakes area came together for the Great Lakes Winter Classic.

You can't embed videos from CTV- but you can check it out here!

Congrats to all who came out to play! Here are the top 3 Teams from the tourney!
1st - Mallet Of Mayhem (Alexis, Robbie OTT, Chris VAN)
2nd - Who let the Dads Out (Javier BOS, Paul NYC, Jonathan PGH)
3rd - Beardsicles (Nate, Zach NYC, Nick TO)

NORTHERN STANDARD MAKES A DEAL!

A few of us Nightshades have caught the bike polo bug over the last few years. We travel all over the States and Canada to play our fav DIY sport and see all our good buds along the way. Its rough and tumble and full of fun, its also full of awesome people trying to improve the sport from the inside out. Our friends Max and Ken, owner's of Northern Standard have been making shafts and mallet heads for a few years now and decided they were passionate enough about their favourite sport to make it a full time job. They needed a little help first though, so they went to see "The Dragons"
Also play our favourite game "SPOT THE NIGHTSHADES". 3,2,1. POLO!

Why Do You Ride?

I got interviewed for this lovely blog out of Australia not too long ago.

"What's the best thing about cycling?" they asked, and I gave a cheeky answer....

CLUB BELLADONA!

Seems like the Australians think we should change our name. Earlier this summer we were so exstatic to be featured in a 5 page spread in Australia's amazing bike mag Treadlie, with a wonderful article by Will Jones titled "Club Belladona." I dont want to spoil the whole thing but here's a good little excerpt:

"The girls love of creating, of cycling and of eachother brings them together to form this wonderfully wicked, scarily sexy and daringly dangerous collective. No wonder they picked the name Deadly Nightshades."

DNS does love some good aliteration. Thanks for all the kind words Treadlie & Will! Secretly I think my favourite thing is that the whole article refered to us primarily by our gang names.  Hilarious.

If you haven't picked up a copy of the magazine yet, swing on over to their website and do it! Treadlie Rules!

DANDYHORSE GETS FIERCER.

The last issue of Toronto's own Dandyhorse Magazine featured a two page spread on our very own Irene! She talks about bike gangs, the ins and outs of making your own place in the fashion industry, and about her sewing school / crafting mecca The Make Den! Not only that but the article sports two stunning portraits by Kirsten's collective The Bleached Blondes, featuring Irene as her two personas - Fierce Bambi and Unicorn Karl Lagerfeld (amaaaaaaazing!!!) Congrats Kirsten & Irene - we are so proud to have such talented babes in our midst. Check out Dandyhorse & see for yourself!

THE GENTEEL COVERS DNS!

Yesterday, The Genteel posted a great article about what we're about and what we've been up to lately! It's a great blog in general with an international array of contributers, and myriad of interesting finds. It was nice to see our Style Spins hashed out a little more than usual, as we're already excitedly brainstorming for another season of sunshine and sneak peaks once winter is out of the way.

Coincidentally, we recently unearthed some awesome gems on BlogTO's facebook, of a Style Spin last August. I forgot how awesome (and comfortable) those neon onsies were... and how glorious summertime is!

(photos by Natta Summerky)

BBC News with the Deadly Nightshades:

A few months ago, on our final Style Spin of the season, Fast Track's Theopi Skarlatos came along and showcased the Deadly Nightshades in a piece for BBC World titled: Toronto's Competitive Vintage Scene

CLICK HERE TO WATCH!

Thanks to Kealan from Vintage 69 for lending us such awesome outfits!
(Too bad we don't have more pictures of them)

LOVE. HATE.

...there's not much to hate right now.

Like last week, when I swapped out my old boring bars, for golden unwrapped dropped bars. I'm officially in love. Since then, these babies from Knog, have worked their way, even more so, into my daily routine.

Also, I definitely don't hate this awesome article the Toronto Star wrote on us today, with more sweet photos by Lucas Oleniuk!

So so much love.

Torontoist on FAT 2011

I was surprised and happy to see this awesome illustration by Chloe Cushman of The Make Den's very own Gaga jacket front and centre on Torontoist yesterday, while surfing the web with some students in an internet cafe in Bloordale. We made so much noise when we saw it they nearly asked us to leave the cafe. Sorry, Zone 3 Webcafe. The article sounds like she could be describing the entire collection (fringe, leather, cropped tanks and t-shirts, big shoulders) and goes on to say that the trends on the runway looked like glimpses of future of LG fashion weeks. Here's a quote from the well written article:

Then there was the clothing. Known mostly for its drama and dissent, [FAT] came out this year with talent that was on-trend and gave a glimpse at LG features of the future. While the unusual was still the norm, we noticed a few trends that connected the variety of radical designers, influences, styles, and perspectives that actually mirror the mainstream. We saw cropped tanks, fringe on everything from denim to leather, Gaga-worthy exaggerated shoulders, pants that were slouchy yet sophisticated, and headdresses and facial accessories that were often the crowning jewel of an outfit.

We were happy to see this mention up on Fashion Magazine, too:

After all the buzz over Berlin designer Julia Knupfer, we were beginning to feel antsy when her I.C.A. Watermelon collection was postponed to later that evening. Luckily, our attention was diverted to Bloordale sewing club The Make Den’s presentation of fun DIY garments, including a bold-shouldered ‘Gaga blazer’ that might have us convinced to take up a new hobby.

All in all, I think everyone had a really great time this year - our models were really awesome and had so much fun dressing up in all the Make Den gear - and the backstage crew (Sissi K, Karen K, Jenn N, Emma Z and Margaret D) were super professional. I have to say, the make-up team from Make Up For Ever were especially awesome - the smokey black eyes looked incredible on everyone and might be my new favorite make-up look of all-time! Stay tuned for more backstage pics...

SPRING FLING!

Thanks to everyone who made it out to our awesome Pop-Up Shop "Tigerlilies & Nightshades" at the Drake Hotel yesterday! We had an amazing time with tons of local designers & fashion lovers alike - from le Petit Beret to Worn Fashion Journal, to amazing complementary styling from the Aveda Institute's Blow Bar. There was one moment where I had a beer in one hand, someone massaging the other, and two people styling my hair. I felt like a QUEEN. Aveda is officially welcome at any DNS event, or just to hang out at my house every day of my life. Forever.

Photos by Connie Tsang. See the whole set HERE!

Then we flipped the space for a ridiculous all out dance party! After having the Torontoist describe us as the city's "most dangerous, sultry, and fashionably dressed bicycle gang" we hope we lived up to it with our matching (as always) outfits! So stay tuned - dance off photos on the way! AND THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN TROPHY...... !!!

INTERVIEW!

So, we were interviewed on A La Mode this week - check us breaking it down over at Fusion Effects.

AND check out at this film I unearthed during an attempt to clean my house. Cherry beach mid summer really is the best. I think these are from back in 2008? There was a super awesome shot on that roll of Irene rocking out to the Side Step (R.I.P.) in a bikini - but i felt like she might murder me in my sleep if I were to post it.

Really... her joining a thrash band is just a matter of time. Long live the deathbourine.

MORE INK...

...then Irene has sewing machines. If you didn't catch that link in the last post, Nighshades Patricia & Laura were quoted in a National Post article about winter biking & ice racing. Hilarious.

GALLERY SPIN IN NOW!

Always good to feel some Nightshade love from everyone's favourite NOW Magazine! Thanks Andrew!

Check out the article in this weeks issue right HERE!

Sun Shining on the Nightshades!

A few weeks ago, I was asked to send my Prom 2010 predictions to Heather Toskan at Sun Media. The girls I've been teaching are really into big volume and short hemlines, so I told her what I thought girls would be wearing this year. I also told her I thought that black was over but sequins and vintage are in. She writes:

Bury the black and stand out in shades of fuchsia, coral, turquoise, aqua, red, blue and gold. Celebs also know that vintage looks can also be the most unique....

...Many current prom dress trends draw largely on the styles of the 1980s with lacy, sequined and other glittering fabrics of the era.

“Fashion-forward girls are really into playing with volume right now, so the one shoulder might have a big ruffle or ‘80s pouf on it. Hem lines are getting shorter so it makes sense to have more happening at the shoulders,” says designer-seamstress Irene Stickney, of The Make Den, a vintage-inspired sewing studio in Toronto.

You can read the entire article here.